When I first heard of Smit Machchhar — the pilot of the flydubai flight that would have been deliberately crashed by his co-pilot, Hamam al-Hammami, had Machchhar not fought back, sustained serious injuries, and still managed to open the cockpit door — I was reminded of the words from the Bhagavad Gita, “Remember me and fight” (8.7). In an online conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Machchhar said that, as he lay on the floor, fighting for his life and that of his crew and fliers, the Hanuman Chalisa was running through his mind as he recites it every morning during worship.

The Hanuman Chalisa is one of the two most popular Hindu prayers today. Hanuman is a symbol not only for athletes but also for pilots because he flew over the sea to Ravana’s Lanka and also flew to the Himalayas to retrieve the Sanjeevani herb that saved Lakshman’s life. When Ravana tried to kill him by setting his tail alight, Hanuman used his burning tail as a weapon. He embodies devotion, intelligence, and physical prowess, which Machchhar demonstrated in action.

Like Hanuman, Machchhar saved his own life, that of 170 passengers (mostly Jews,........

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